Prime Minister Andy Burnham has sent his “love and support” to the Jewish community in Manchester and across the country as hundreds gathered to remember Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, who were killed in last year’s terrorist attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
Around 800 people attended a memorial service at the synagogue on Monday, bringing together members of the Jewish community, relatives of those killed, survivors, emergency services, civic leaders and politicians.
Writing on X, Burnham said:
“We send our love and support to the Jewish community in Manchester and beyond who last night gathered to remember Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby, who were killed defending their synagogue last year.”
“My thoughts are with their families and all those who have been affected by the attack.”
Cravitz, 66, and Daulby, 53, died during the attack on 2 October 2025, when Jihad Al-Shamie drove a vehicle at people outside the synagogue before carrying out a knife attack while wearing a fake suicide belt. The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Burnham, who was Mayor of Greater Manchester at the time of the attack, said the fear and grief experienced by many Jewish people had not disappeared in the months since.
“I know for many Jewish people, the sorrow and fear from that day has not lifted and I know we must do more to protect communities across the country,” he said.
The Prime Minister then made a clear commitment to tackling antisemitism, adding: “I want Jewish people to know that their safety is a priority of mine and I’m determined to stamp out antisemitism for good.”
Labour Government stands with Jewish communities
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner represented the Government at the memorial service and described Cravitz and Daulby as “two men of such immense kindness” who had been killed in an act of antisemitic hate.
Rayner said that “any attack on Jews is an attack on us all” and pledged that the Government would never rest until every Jewish person in Britain could feel safe.
King Charles also sent a message to the service, recalling his visit to the synagogue following the attack and praising the resilience and compassion shown by the community in its aftermath. He said the memory of those killed and injured remained “especially vivid” in his mind, and that hatred could never prevail over shared humanity.
Daulby was among those who helped prevent the attacker from entering the synagogue. An inquest later heard that he died from a police gunshot wound while holding the doors shut against the attacker, while Cravitz died from multiple stab wounds.
The attack sent shockwaves through Jewish communities across Britain and prompted renewed calls for stronger protection of synagogues and tougher action against antisemitism.
Burnham’s message makes clear that protecting Jewish communities will remain a priority for his Government.
For the Prime Minister, the anniversary is both a moment to remember the two men who lost their lives and a reminder of the continuing responsibility to confront antisemitic hatred wherever it appears.
